It’s hard to believe that the man we’ve come to love as Jon Snow on HBO’s Game of Thrones had never acted onscreen before landing the role. But it’s true that Kit Harington had only appeared onstage before he joined the hugely successful series.

The international cast of Game of Thrones is one of the highlights of the series. One example is Sibel Kekilli, who plays Shae on the popular HBO series, who is an acclaimed actress in her native Germany.